What is more important when looking for the right talent? Passion or experience? There are opinions on both sides of the argument, but which one is better? – the truth is there is no definitive answer. It all depends on what industry and level you need to hire into. Would you be happy with a qualified doctor, with zero passion or a doctor who has no qualifications but is passionate about getting you better? I can bet you anything the answer that you want is passion and qualifications

It’s fair to say a lot of people aren’t passionate about their jobs – they may be good at their job, hold all the right qualifications and turn up everyday but they may not be passionate. Being passionate creates drive and motivation and the continuous love of what you’re doing. It is growing

It’s always been sought after but today people and organisations are looking and testing for it and qualifying people in or out based on it. Companies are actively developing programs and resources to help employees and new talent stay passionate by learning new things and involving them in creative and innovative company development.

Finding a passionate person in any industry is difficult, however with the right hiring assistance it isn’t impossible.

Qualifications can be defined… passion, can’t.

When reviewing cv’s for new talent for your company, qualifications and experiences are the first things you look at – they may even be the only things you look at. Defining qualifications linked to an individual is easy, taking someone’s word that they are passionate is not. How do you know whether they really are passionate about your industry? Passion is unmeasurable and can only be demonstrated once you have seen someone working, making hiring solely based on passion risky.

With recent emphasis on skill shortages, hiring based on qualifications may soon be a thing of the past – passion may be the new criteria of job roles and may require more companies to take risks when hiring new talent .

Passion without experience requires guidance to take employees into the right direction. Investing in passion also means investing in training, coaching and mentoring. With support, inexperienced but passionate employees can flourish and be a real addition to your business. Passionate people are usually willing to learn new things and more open to learning about your business and adopting some of the ways you do things – so developing the right plan can keep these people on board.

If you are asked to choose between passion and experience when hiring a new team member its important to look at the level of hire and the industry. For leaders and executives in any industry it’s important that they have both – be experienced and qualified in the right field as well as passionate about the business and willing to keep learning and developing themselves and others.

Every workforce will want to have a workforce that blends both passion and experience and those who possess both will be the ones who are in high demand. Evaluate your company culture and look at what your company really needs. Do you need to pay a premium for both or could you take a calculated risk and invest in passion? By distinguishing what you really need you could identity some high potential candidates that your competition has overlooked.

We have countless examples where the passionate underdog proved to be the smart hire.